Media ratings and metering information enables media producers and media device manufacturers to improve their media programming or media device functionality and also enables media producers to determine a price to be charged for advertising broadcast during such media programming. In addition, accurate media device usage demographics enables advertisers to target audiences of a desired size and/or audiences composed of members having a set of common, desired characteristics (e.g., income level, lifestyles, interests, etc.).
Metering information and media ratings are typically generated by collecting media consumption or exposure information from a group of statistically selected individuals and/or households. Each of the statistically selected individuals and/or households typically has a data logging and processing unit commonly referred to as a “meter.” In households of individuals having multiple media devices, the data logging and processing functionality may be distributed among multiple meters or metering units, where each metering unit may be provided for each media device or media presentation area. The metering unit includes sensors to gather data from the monitored media devices (e.g., audio-video (AV) devices) at the selected site.
The collected media device data is subsequently used to generate a variety of information or statistics related to media device usage including, for example, audience sizes, audience demographics, audience preferences, the total number of hours of media device usage per individual and/or per region, etc.
The configurations of automated metering systems vary depending on the equipment used to receive, process, and display media device signals in each environment being monitored. For example, homes that receive cable television signals and/or satellite television signals typically include a metering unit in the form of a set top box (STB) to receive media signals from a cable and/or satellite television provider. Media systems configured in this manner are typically monitored using hardware, firmware, and/or software to interface with the STB to extract or to generate signal information. Such hardware, firmware, and/or software may be adapted to perform a variety of monitoring tasks including, for example, detecting the channel tuning status of a tuning device disposed in or otherwise associated with the STB, extracting program identification codes embedded in media signals received at the STB, generating signatures characteristic of media signals received at the STB, etc. However, many audio/video media systems that include an STB are configured such that the STB may be powered independent of the media device (e.g., an audio/video presentation device). As a result, the STB may be turned on (i.e., powered up) and continue to supply media signals to the media device even when the media device is turned off. Additionally, while the media device may be on, the media device may be used for gaming or watching DVDs. Thus, the monitoring of media devices having independent power supplies or more than one active state typically involves an additional device or method to determine the operational status of the media device to ensure that the collected data reflects information about the signals from the metered media device.